On 15 March 2024, metr.cube entered the streets of Istanbul as a site-specific, mobile installation.​

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On 14 March, the cube was assembled outdoors in full public view, transforming the set-up process into a transparent, performative act rather than a concealed curatorial procedure.

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At exactly 14:00 (TRT) on 15 March, the truck departed. Its movement was streamed and recorded from three camera angles, following the vehicle as both exhibition space and moving subject.​

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Conceived as metr.cube’s first exhibition, 1st Cube traced a continuous route from Ümraniye to Harem Coach Station, passing in sequence:​

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Ümraniye → Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge → Sakıp Sabancı Museum → Arter → Atatürk Cultural Center → Bilgili Holding – Akaretler Row Houses → Istanbul Modern → Harem Bus Terminal​

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Throughout the journey, the project articulated the paradox of continuous movement without arrival. When the truck temporarily stopped, it opened for guided tours, allowing pedestrians and drivers alike to encounter the works at close range.

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The itinerary was deliberately designed to pass major art institutions, engage audiences encountered en route, and -through an open call- activate a distributed network of collaborators who live-streamed the journey via YouTube.

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From London, Bologna, Ankara, Istanbul, and Helsinki, collaborators projected the live feed using projectors, laptops, and tablets in settings ranging from local markets and cafés to UCLA and Aalto University. Free from institutional regulation, each collaborator determined their own display context, reinforcing metr.cube’s commitment to decentralised exhibition-making.

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Audiences encountering these parallel projections experienced the 1st Cube in real time alongside those on the streets of Istanbul, extending the project beyond its physical route and foregrounding its collective, translocal structure.

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Funded by CultureCIVIC, a European Union Project.